Daughters
by project314
Summary: The demons have been defeated, the Lightspeed Rangers have moved on with their lives. Years later, Captain Mitchell is about to face his greatest fear...
1. Expecting

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**Daughters**

**Chapter 1  
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_**Expecting  
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___(Original Posting Date: June 14th, 2009)_

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_Author's Note: Keeping a box of tissues handy would not be a terrible idea. Also, the character of Earl was introduced in the episode 'A Matter of Trust', where Dana had to protect one of Captain Mitchell's old friends from the forces of Queen Bansheera. Finally, this plot bunny came to me courtesy of the song 'Daughters' by John Mayer. It just evolved a bit since I initially thought it up. And now, on with the story..._

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Bill Mitchell had been stuck in the confines of the hospital's waiting room for the past seven hours, alternately standing, pacing and sitting, never once contemplating leaving the brightly lit and sterile room, afraid that the news he awaited so eagerly could arrive during the briefest of absences.

For the time being, he'd gone back to sitting down. In the chair next to him, Ryan, his son, slept soundly. Despite his worry, Bill smiled, grateful for his presence. In the current circumstances, however, and considering his own state of tiredness, he was slightly envious of Ryan's apparent ability to get some shuteye, regardless of the situation.

"One cup of hospital coffee," Earl Davis, one of his good friends, told him as he stepped into the room, offering him a steaming cup of the smoldering sludge that the cafeteria tried to pass off as coffee.

"Thank you, Earl," Bill said gratefully as he carefully accepted the hot cup. He took a sip of the liquid and grimaced from the violent assault on his taste buds and the mild burning of his tongue. Even if he couldn't fathom drinking any more of it, he figured that the horrid flavor had given him a sufficient jolt to keep him from nodding off. He exchanged looks with Earl, who had taken a seat across from him, and, without a word, they both set their coffees down on the floor, where they remained untouched as they cooled down.

Bill looked down at his watch, surprised that it had only been five minutes since he'd last checked the time. Just to be sure, he glanced up at the clock that was mounted against an otherwise bare wall of the waiting room. The same time was displayed on it. Ever since his arrival, time had seemed to be moving at a crawl.

On a small table set up nearby, various magazines were strewn about, most of which he'd already had a chance to leaf through. He randomly picked one up and started flipping through it, his mind not registering the text or the images there. It was only when he reached a page located near the end of the magazine that he realized he'd already taken a look at it. Sighing, he set it back down on the table, not bothering to select another. Almost reflexively, his gaze was drawn to the wall clock. Three more minutes had gone by.

"She's in good hands, Bill," Earl reassured him. He had noticed his furtive glance at the time. "There's no need to worry. She's a strong one."

"It's just been so long," Bill replied, managing a small smile as he tried to push the anxiety and uncertainty out of his thoughts.

"You know, you should really follow Ryan's lead" Earl suggested, pointing to Bill's son, who was still sleeping peacefully, seemingly oblivious to the stress of the situation and to the fact they'd been at the hospital for quite a while.

"How I wish I could," Bill said, letting out a good-natured chuckle as he felt his anxiety momentarily lessen.

As their brief fit of laughter slowly subsided, they returned to their quiet individual contemplations. Soon, Bill was back to glancing at the time every few minutes. When he wasn't peering at his watch or the clock, he was looking at the object he now held in his hands. He couldn't hold back a smile at the prospect of what was coming as he gently squeezed it. Eventually, his entire focus was on it, and time was forgotten. Everything was going to be okay.

About an hour later, the silence was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Bill's eyes were immediately drawn to the entrance of the waiting room, where the doctor he'd spoken to earlier eventually appeared. His stomach was in knots as he got up and walked over to her. Earl came up behind him. Ryan was still sleeping.

"Doctor?" Bill asked, holding his breath.

"Your daughter's doing very well, Mr. Mitchell" she announced.

He let out a relieved sigh, a wide smile breaking out on his lips. But then, his mind processed the full extent of her words, both said and unsaid. As she continued to speak, the words became a blur and the only things he registered were the empathy and sadness in her pained eyes. As his entire world collapsed around him, the object he'd been clutching in his hands for the last hour dropped to the tiled floor. The pink stuffed rabbit landed softly and quietly by his feet, in a seated position, head cocked to the side and floppy ears comically dangling outwards. As it sat there, unmoving, a single teardrop fell onto it from above, dampening the fabric just under its large black eyes.

_To be continued...

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_So that's it for Chapter One. For anyone who hates me for the ending, you don't have to send me flames. I hate myself enough for writing that, my eyes water up whenever the visual of the rabbit pops in my head. That visual is one of the first things I thought up, it was so haunting and sad and the rest of the scene was merely a buildup to that moment._

_Small note, this isn't an alternate universe. Daughters will fit in PR canon, just like it will fit into the continuity of my other major stories (PR: Countdown & PR: End of Days)._


	2. Memorial

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_**Chapter 2  
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_**Memorial  
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___(Original Posting Date: June 21st, 2009)_

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_Author's note: It's not lost on me that today's Father's Day. Kind of appropriate for a story like this, but completely unintentional. Enjoy!_

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Shortly after the doctor's departure, Bill, Ryan and Earl were joined by the rest of Dana's former teammates and Angela Fairweather. They were all quiet, trying their best to keep their emotions under control. Kelsey sat next to Ryan, her head rested against his shoulder, her fingers interlaced in his. Chad and Joel stood by the doorway, talking softly. Angela and Earl quietly sat by Bill.

The doctor returned soon thereafter. They all looked at her expectantly as she entered the waiting room. Bill and Ryan both stood up and walked over to her, the others gathering behind them.

"Dana's back in her room," the doctor informed them.

"Can we see her?" Kelsey interrupted the woman, a hopeful smile on her face.

"She's tired," the doctor answered. "As you can all surely imagine, this has been quite overwhelming for her. So, for now, I'd recommend no more than two visitors at once."

"Ryan and I will see her first," Bill declared, taking a deep breath.

"Alright then," the doctor acknowledged, before taking a step back out into the hallway. "If you'll please follow me."

The walk to Dana's room, although short, seemed to last forever. As father and son advanced behind Dana's doctor, the occasional sounds of joyful laughter and of the cries of the newborn greeted them from the open rooms they passed by. This was a place where the happiest moments in certain peoples' lives occurred. But not everyone was as fortunate.

They finally stopped by a doorway on the right side of the hall. The room it led to was quiet, devoid of laughter or cries. There was only silence.

With a nod from the doctor, Bill stepped into the doorframe, peering inside the well-lit room. His daughter lay in her bed. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to have fallen asleep. Followed by Ryan, he walked up to the bed, careful not to make any noise. When he reached her, he gently placed his hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze. Dana's eyes opened slightly.

"Hi, daddy," she said softly, smiling at her father.

"Hi, baby," he replied soothingly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Hey, sis," Ryan said as he approached her from the other side of the bed, giving her a hug when he was close enough.

"Ry, you're here," she stated happily, bringing her free arm around him.

When Ryan pulled away, Dana looked at her father once again. Her attention was immediately drawn to the worn stuffed animal he was holding.

"Fluffy!" she exclaimed as her father set her favorite childhood toy by her in the bed. "Thanks, dad. I'm so happy you brought it," she continued, picking up the pink rabbit, her eyes tearing up slightly. "And I'm sure she'll be happy about it, too."

He didn't immediately grasp the meaning of his daughter's words, but looking at her, he saw that her eyes were fixed on something behind him as she beamed brighter than he'd ever seen her. Turning around, he saw Carter had stepped into the room. His eyes filled with tears when he saw what his son-in-law carried in his arms.

"Dad, Ryan," Dana announced happily, "meet Sammie."

"Sammie?" Bill asked, his voice catching in his throat. He wiped away at his eyes with his thumb and index fingers as he took in the sight of the tiny infant, bundled in a pink blanket and nestled in Carter's arms.

"Samantha Grayson-Mitchell," Carter said proudly as he looked down at the face of the sleeping newborn, caressing her cheek.

Bill reluctantly turned away from his granddaughter and looked at his daughter. She smiled at him knowingly, tears filling her own eyes.

"Go on," Dana ordered him. "Say hi to your granddaughter."

He turned back towards Carter, who gently placed the sleeping baby in his arms. Looking down at Samantha, he couldn't help but smile. He gently rocked her back and forth, listening to her breathing. Soon, everything around them became a blur, and it was as they were alone in the room.

Holding his granddaughter, Bill Mitchell's thoughts went back to that night, many years ago, when Dana had been born. He remembered the doctor telling him there had been complications, that there had been nothing to do for Samantha. He remembered the despair and the hopelessness that had washed over him when he'd realized the woman he'd loved with his entire heart and soul was gone forever. He remembered the fear of not being able to handle raising their two children, the fear of disappointing her. He remembered walking into the nursery and seeing his daughter for the first time, so small, so vulnerable and so helpless. He remembered the promise he'd made to Samantha that day as he'd held their beautiful daughter in his arms.

And now, as he held little Sammie in his arms and as he looked at Ryan and Dana holding each others' hands and laughing while Carter stood behind his wife, he realized that promise had been fulfilled. Everything had turned out fine.

_- The End -

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_So, a little trivia. Little Samantha Grayson-Mitchell was first mentioned in Power Rangers: End of Days, one of my ongoing projects._

_What I really wanted to do with this story was, obviously, screw with your heads a bit (it's my trademark, what can I say?). I tried to smoothly transition chapters 1 and 2 so it would feel like chapter 2 is just a continuation. In reality, Chapter 1 is really Dana's birth (sleeping Ryan was very very young). Chapter 2 is Sammie's birth. Did the transition and the story as a whole work? You tell me. Hit that review button!_

_And thanks for reading!_


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